Look for Best Principles, Not Best Practices
(Editor’s Note: This post originally appeared on the Union for Reform Judaism’s blog, Inside Leadership.) Everyone wants an easy answer: “Tell us what to do, and we’ll do it!” synagogue leaders often plead – but given congregations’ varied histories, cultures, demographics, physical spaces, and resources, no single solution will work for every community. Even if it did, given the complex challenges presented by a fast-moving and rapidly changing world, a simple plug-in solution is unlikely to work for long. Instead of trying to replicate best practices that seemed to work for another community, congregations should seek “best principles” to guide them in the work specific to their community’s needs. This shift from seeking practices to seeking principles is one of eight principles that drive strong […]
